The Institute for Government’s “commission on the centre of government” accurately identifies the deficiencies in the machinery of state around the prime minister (“Former UK prime ministers call for reform of ‘centre’ of government”, Report, March 10).
Of most concern, Whitehall is not structured adequately to manage the wide range of risks the country faces. As the IfG commission recommends, the government should adopt a “three lines of defence” model, with a “strong coordinating and enforcement function” to ensure departments manage risks effectively and cross-cutting threats don’t fall through the cracks.
Moreover, the government must appoint a chief risk officer, as recommended by the House of Lords select committee on risk assessment and risk planning in 2021, with equivalent seniority and access to the government’s national security adviser. This would provide the specialist risk oversight capability needed to ensure that the country is fully prepared for extreme risks.
James Ginns
Head of Risk Management Policy, Centre for Long-Term Resilience
London SW1, UK
This post was originally published on Financial Times
